


Ping, Ping

by nikitty0888



Category: Person of Interest (TV), root and shaw - Fandom
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-08
Updated: 2017-06-08
Packaged: 2018-11-11 07:31:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11143773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nikitty0888/pseuds/nikitty0888
Summary: short story of Root and Shaw Aftermath, Root is Still Alive





	Ping, Ping

Chapter 1

"ping, ping"

There goes that dating app again, another supposed "match" for her. Her match, ha, her match was dead. Shaw looks angrily at her phone. "I know I deleted that stupid dating app, how the hell does it keep getting on my phone? " she says out loud to herself. If she didn't know better she would think that the machine was messaging her. Root... just the thought of Root was enough to rob her of breath and make her stop in her tracks.  
"If that asshole was alive, I'd shoot him again! " Angrily wiping at her face, Shaw couldn't believe there were tears. She didn't cry ever! Pausing to catch her breath, Shaw rubbed her chest feeling, once again, that sharp ache at the thought of Root being dead. She had held out hope with that one phone call and the message "4 Alarm Fire" but now she knew that was just wishful thinking. Because Fusco had seen Roots body, She herself had seen Roots grave, and Root was gone so that 'ping' being form Root just wasn't possible. Harold was overseas and John was gone. She had to face it, Root and The Machine was really gone. Besides the one phone call, she had heard nothing since leaving Fusco in the diner after getting Bear. Nothing had happened in over 2 months.No other phone calls. No Messages except that stupid dating app. She had searched everywhere thinking the message she heard on the payphone was from Root. It had given her hope for a brief moment. She faced the reality that there was no way Root wouldn't have contacted her if Root was alive. And nothing she had done, no one she had talked to had yielded a single clue . Even using all her skills, everything had lead to a dead end. There was Nothing. Nada. 

Looking around, Shaw sees a phone shop located just down the street across from the diner. Thinking to herself, " I wonder...No...Was it the machine, could it be trying to "talk" to her again ?" There had been no other messages for 2 months. But ... No, there was no way Harold would leave if there was a chance the machine was still out there. "Ok, Maybe it was just my phone." Shaw thought. Crossing the street to the shop, Shaw heads inside and gets a new phone. Taking her old phone out of her pocket, she takes out the battery, breaks the sim card and she drops it into trash can outside the shop. " There, no more stupid dating app." Shaw takes the new phone out of the package and slips the new sim card in. Turning the phone on, she drops it in her pocket. Time to go home and see Bear. Maybe she'd take him for a walk. Walking into the warehouse that was her new home, Shaw heads up the stairs to the converted loft. Downstairs was her "workroom". She had her guns and knives and other tools. Her workbench and her workout equipment.  
The best security was still the German Shepard that would rip an intruder to pieces but also curl up with her on the couch begging for belly rubs with those "puppy "eyes even she couldn't resist.  
No one was getting in here with Bear guarding the place! "Hey Bear, Did you miss me?" 

Bear wagged his tail and shoves his bunny slippers into her hands just like he does every time she walks in the door. Looking down at Bear, Shaw crouches down to hug and pet him and tells him "Yea buddy, I miss her too!" After feeding Bear, she heads into the kitchen. Grabbing a beer from the fridge , Shaw sits down on the couch. Twisting the cap off, she flips the cap towards the trash can. It clangs against the side as it drops in. " See that Bear, I still got it. "

Leaning her head back and closing her eyes, Shaw sighs. Sleep was damn near impossible nowadays. She knew that but maybe tonight would be different. And just like every night when she relaxed even a little, her thoughts turn to Root and snapshots of Root pass thru her head. Root laughing and smiling. (god, she missed that). Root shooting two guns.(yeah, that really was hot). Root in that damn bear suit. (ok, it was cute. She could admit that to herself now). Root learning to escape handcuffs. (Root had learned ..eventually). Root talking to the machine.(Root was so adorable when she was being a know-it-all). Root flirting at the most inopportune moments. ( she missed that the most)  
" ping, ping " Opening her eyes , what was that? " ping, ping " Shaw bolts upright , grabbing her phone. Looking at the screen, Shaw just stares at the dating app. "No Fucking Way! It can't be!" That damn dating app was back on her phone. The machine was gone, wasn't it? Shaw stares at her phone. It had to be The Machine. There just wasn't any other explanation for it. The phone was brand new. Had it been The Machine all along? Why didn't it just send her a number? What was with the dating app? Well, what ever it was, Shaw was going to find out. Maybe it was a job like last time. It would be nice to be doing something. Anything besides the sitting around and missing Root.

Grabbing her weapons and Root's leather jacket , Shaw headed out the door calling for Bear as she rushed down the stairs. "Bewaken (bay-walkin) Bear!" "Fuck it, I am going to go see what this is all about." Shaw says to herself as she sets the alarm and locks the door. Looking up the "match" on the app, Shaw stared in disbelief. "Really this guy?" She almost deletes the message again. Shaw barely stops herself from throwing the phone at the wall remembering the time Harold made her a cover as "Betty the blogger". Shuddering at that, Shaw reminds herself, answers, She needed answers. The only way to get them was to go on this "date". This had better be The Machine, there was no way anyone could think she was into that.. He was a clown .. Really.. A clown?" She sent a text to the guy , telling him she would meet him at the address provided.. " The Rose Spot" No sooner had she sent the text then she got one back saying he would meet her there at 22:00 and it was already 21:30. Typing in the address, Shaw absently followed the directions, her mind on Root once again. Remembering Roots insistence that Shaw go on the last "date". That had turned out to be a job so maybe this was one too because ..what else could it be.  
"It had to be a job, right?" Shaw mused out loud to herself. It had better be a job because she was starting to talk to herself out loud a lot. That and she was bored with too much time to brood about Root being gone. Arriving at the address , Shaw noticed that there only seemed to be a couple of cars on the parking lot. Looking down at her watch, it read 21:55. So she was a couple minutes early. That would give her time to scout the place out and see if it was a trap. She knew that Samaritan was gone but still better to be careful. Grabbing her gun, she cautiously approached the door looking for anything out of the ordinary.  
The place was a little dingy but it was the correct address and there was a big sign " The Rose Spot ". Half the light on the sign were out and it now just said " The Ro-- --ot. "  
Pausing to look at the sign, Shaw had to at least grin.  
"I should of called Fusco or at least brought Bear." This thought crossed her mind and she shook her head. Since when did she need anyone? She was on her own now. Grasping the door handle Shaw pushed the door open, moving inside quickly , she shut the door and immediately scanned the room looking for anything that felt "off". Nothing looked out of place, a few guys at the bar and that was it.  
All the tables were empty and there were two doors off the side. One was labeled clearly "restroom" and the other said "employees only". She walked to the bar and the bartender turned around. It was the guy from the dating app. Immediately Shaw glanced around. This was looking more and more like The Machines handy work. The bartender looked up at her and grabbed a shot glass. "First shot's on the house. What'll you have?" He said. Making sure she could see the whole room and her back wasn't to the door, Shaw walked up to the bar. "Tequila" Shaw said. The bartender poured her a shot and putting it on a napkin, he slid the shot to her across the bar. " Here you go " he said. Shaw grabbed the shot and downing it quickly. Placing the shot glass back on the bar, Shaw noticed the napkin underneath had writing on it.  
"answer the phone " grabbing the napkin, Shaw shoved it in her pocket.  
So this was a job. She felt both excited and sad. She had had a little hope that it was Root even though she knew Root was gone. At least she would have a purpose again. The Machine was back. She would have something to do. Leaning on the bar and keeping the other two guys in the bar in her sights, Shaw asked the bartender, "Payphone?" "In the back" He replied, pointing out the phone next to the dart board.  
Shaw walked back and looked at the phone. When it rang she picked up the handset and waited. She would hear Roots ("well almost her voice") voice again.  
The voice on the line was tinny and she heard "employee door , stairs, " 6741*". A little disappointed that The Machine had "lost" Roots voice, She was surprised at how hearing The Machine "talking" to her had settled something in her. Hanging up the phone, Shaw pushed open the door. Seeing the Door marked "Stairs " to the left , Shaw took out her gun again and started down the stairs. Even if it was The Machine , Shaw was taking no chances. There was a hanging light bulb on at the bottom of the stairs. Reaching what she could tell was the basement of the building, Shaw looked around and saw another door.  
This one was made of steel and very heavy duty. Also this door had no handle, just a security keypad next to it. "Whatever's behind this door must be important" she thought. Looking at the keypad Shaw tilted her head and then shrugged her shoulders. Shaw punched in 6741 and hit the * key.  
There was a click , a whirring sound, and then the door opened to reveal a brightly lit room. Pushing the door all the way open, Shaw walked thru, once again being cautious and scanning the room.  
No one jumped out at her. Taking a few steps into the room, Shaw heard the door click shut behind her cutting off the sound of the music from the bar overhead.  
Medical equipment was beeping out a rhythm. There was a hospital bed. A wheelchair was next to the bed. At first she did not see that there was a person in the bed because there was so much medical equipment surrounding the bed. Shaw walked around the equipment taking in the type of equipment and knowing what it was as she saw it. A groan sounded and Shaw jerked her head around.  
There was someone in the bed. Shaw kept walking looking at the still figure lying there covered in blankets with lots of wires running from several machines to the person in the bed. The person had their head turned away and Shaw saw only long brunette hair. As she walked closer, her steps slowed and her heart pounded. That hair, those hands, she knew those hands. Closer and closer she walked towards the bed.  
It couldn't be. She was dead. Fusco had seen her body. Harold had said she was dead. They said they had buried her. She had seen the grave. The Machine had said she was gone. Heart pounding , Shaw stopped at the side of the bed and then reached out slowly.  
"Root?" Shaw whispered. "Root?"  
Shaw reached for the hand closest to her and touched it. She watched as the person slowly turned her head to look at her .  
The breath stuttered in her lungs, she knew those eyes. Only one person had eyes that made her whole world come alive.  
"Hey Sweetie, Did you miss me?" Root whispered.  
"Absolutely!"  
And then……….Shaw Smiled.  
And kissed Root.  
Root Is Still Alive Bitches!


End file.
